CarJack Just One More Time
by Brownwyn18
Summary: What would have happened if Jack had listened to and followed his heart? Would he have still married Janet or would he have realized that all he ever wanted and all he ever needed was where it always was... with Carly.


_***Author's Note: First off, this story is dedicated to Brittany... Happy Birthday! :) When she first asked me to write a story for her I had totally planned on writing a happy CarJack on a mini-vacation and everything was peachy in their lives. But then I began it and while it's fun to write a happy CarJack - the story needed something more. I wrestled with adding elements of adventure and danger but then decided upon an angsty story instead. Nothing beats CarJack angst. After all, isn't this what kept most of us coming back for more and more over the course of their 13 years on ATWT? So thusly, this story begins the day of Jack and Janet's wedding in 2008 and what I would have loved to have seen played out on our screen. I hope you all enjoy...**_

Carly groaned and reached for her head as she woke. Her head was pounding and the light peeking through the blinds made her eyes ache. It was if the bright light of the sun was mocking her. It was only early December but the sun shone brightly as if it were the middle of summer. She squinted and quickly closed her eyes to try and stop the shooting pains coursing through her head. She rolled over and looked at the clock. It was nearly 10am and she had things to do. She took a deep breath in through her nose as she felt the slight twinge of nausea. What had she been thinking to drink so much last night?

Visions of the previous evening tumbled around inside her head and a whole slew of emotions began to envelop her. Anger, envy and sadness… That was the major one. A deep, over-whelming sadness. How could he do it? How could he possibly marry her? Carly could, perhaps not right at this moment but on any other day, concede that Janet was a good person. That was all fine and dandy but that wasn't going to be enough to sustain a relationship let alone a marriage. Hadn't Jack told her that he still loved her just a few hours ago? How could he even think about marrying another woman when his heart belonged to her? All these questions swarmed around but the biggest one was… _How was she supposed to go, watch the ceremony and pretend to be happy for him?_

She pulled the covers back and slowly sat up. Her head continued to pound as she glanced over to the other side of the bed. He'd lain with her right here last night. He'd told her he still loved her. Took care of her, held her, and even kissed her. Sure, it had been on the forehead but Carly had felt the desire there, dancing between them like a bolt of electricity. She reached over and grabbed the other pillow and hugged it close. She could smell him. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Having just a hint of him still here in their room… _her room _she corrected herself, was enough to help soothe her aching head and her aching heart.

There was a soft knock on the door and the sound brought Carly out of her thoughts.

"Come in," she answered.

"Morning mommy," Sage smiled at her as she padded over to her in her slippers.

"Good morning my sweet," Carly smiled down at her daughter as she helped her climb up onto the bed. Sage scooted over next to her mom and laid her head against her arm.

"How are you this morning?" Carly asked her as she kissed the top of her head.

"I'm ok," Sage said quietly. She looked up at her mother tentatively. "Are you ok too?" she asked.

Carly could see the concern on her daughter's face and she knew she was worried about her mom. Today was going to be tough for Sage too. She had definitely not taken a liking to Janet and had done everything a little girl could think of to try and stop the wedding from happening. Carly, for Jack's sake, had done her best to try and help Sage accept the inevitable by putting on a good face and not showing her own disappointment.

Carly looked down and smiled through the pain in her head and patted her daughter's arm. "I'm good," she smiled at her. "Today is a beautiful day and you are going to be the prettiest girl at the wedding!"

"The bride is supposed to be the prettiest," Sage corrected her mother.

"Perhaps, but I bet your dad will agree with me," Carly told her. "Now, why don't you go and get yourself some cereal while I jump in the shower," Carly told her as she stood up.

"Ok mommy," Sage smiled as she jumped off the bed and ran out of the room. She didn't see Carly reach for the nightstand to steady herself. Carly gripped the nightstand until the room stopped spinning and then slowly made her way to the shower.

Several hours later, Carly was pulling onto the drive leading up to Lily and Holden's with Sage in the backseat. She slowed the car down as a gentleman in a black suit walked up to her car and offered to park it for her. She and Sage climbed out of the car and made their way to the door. As Sage opened the door Carly got a glimpse of Jack in his suit and the sight of him stopped her in her tracks. She froze, unable to breathe and just stood there gazing at the man who was her entire world. He turned just slightly as if sensing her and their eyes locked. As it always did, everything else faded away and it was as if was just the two of them. No one else existed. Brad stepped in between them and broke the spell. Carly nearly stumbled as she backed away from the door. Their brief encounter had not gone unnoticed. Lily had spied the two of them and she quickly went after Carly. She caught up with her about halfway down the drive.

"Where are you going?" Lily yelled after her causing Carly to stop and spin around.

"Go back to the house Lily," Carly ordered her.

"Not until you answer me," she said stubbornly.

"I can't do it. I can't watch Jack marry Janet," Carly said defeated.

"Yes you can," Lily told her.

"No… I can't. I thought I could. I thought I could do it for Jack and for the kids… be strong for them. But seeing him, standing up there… hearing him speak those words to someone else… I can't. I'm not that strong," Carly whispered. She closed her eyes and felt a single hot tear on her cheek. The last thing in the world she wanted was for Jack to see her cry today.

"I have to go," she told Lily, taking a deep breath.

"If you're really sure… then go. I'll handle things with the kids and Jack. I can drive Sage home after the ceremony."

"No, not just home. I need to get out of town. Just for a couple of days," Carly added when she saw the look of concern on Lily's face. "I need to get my head together and get my life sorted out. Staying here isn't going to help me do that."

"Where are you going to go?" Lily asked her.

"I don't know… anywhere." Carly looked dejected but then she had an idea. "Say, I know this is a lot to ask Lily, but do you think I could borrow your jet?"

Lily looked at the woman who was once her good friend and saw the desperation in her eyes. She knew the pain that Carly was going through and while a part of her still couldn't forgive Carly for what had happened over the summer, another part of her did and wanted to help her friend out. Besides Lily thought, perhaps it would be good for Jack too. If Cary wasn't around as a distraction then everything would go more smoothly.

"Sure. It's all yours. I'll call the pilot and let him know to take you wherever you want to go," she smiled.

"Oh thank you Lily," Carly said in a rush. She leaned against her friend for a moment before realizing what she was doing. Lily was shocked by the gesture and didn't know how to react so the moment was awkward.

"I'm sorry," Carly stammered apologetically. Lily gave her a small smile.

"Oh this is just stupid," Carly said and wrapped Lily up in a genuine hug. "You may not want one but you're getting a hug. You have no idea how grateful I am."

Lily laughed in spite of herself and hugged Carly back.

"Go and take care of yourself," she said and she genuinely meant it.

So it was, a short two hours later that Carly was situated on the plane. Her bags sat next to her and she was on her way. She'd turned off her phone, with a promise to call Lily and let her know when she landed. She'd also called and left a message for Jack letting him know that Lily would be watching the kids for a few days. She was now sitting on the plane eyes closed and feeling much better than she when she'd woke up that morning. However, despite being on her way to a sunny secluded island her thoughts kept drifting towards Jack. Were he and Janet sharing a dance? Had they already left and headed home to…

Carly swallowed and dismissed that thought in a hurry. She did NOT want to think about that. _Stop it! _, she told herself. She emptied her mind of all thought and eventually fell asleep. However, the last image in her mind was the look in Jack's eyes when she'd seen him earlier at Lily's.

Jack, meanwhile, had spent the last several hours apologizing. Apologizing to Lily and Holden, to his kids and to his bride-to-be. Jack had been all set to marry Janet but something had stopped him from going through with it. Perhaps it had been there all the time, but when Janet had begun to walk towards him a little voice inside his head began to yell and scream and warn him he was making a mistake. It had been hard to look at Janet, seeing her in her dress with her hair up looking happier than she ever had and basically break her heart by telling her that he couldn't marry her but it was something that had to be done. He'd asked to speak with her in private but she'd refused and told him that whatever he needed to say he could in front of everyone. He'd tried once more to get her alone but she was adamant about it. Perhaps she'd known what was coming and had hoped that if she stayed there in front of everyone he might have changed his mind and gone through with the wedding. But Jack hadn't changed his mind and he calmly and quietly told her that he couldn't marry her. Janet had demanded to know why and immediately started throwing around accusations stating that it was because of Carly. And that was when all hell broke loose. Sage had become upset by Janet's rants about Carly and started crying while trying to defend her mother. Liberty got upset over seeing her mom being dumped at the alter and started defending her mother. Then Brad got protective of his daughter and started in on Jack causing a near brawl to start right there in Lily's living room. Holden tried to separate the brothers and ended up getting punched in the face by Jack in the process. It was at this point with Janet crying on one side of the room, the Snyder brothers dueling it out on the other and the kids crying in the middle that Emma got things under control and settled the place down.

"Katie, take Liberty back to your place. She doesn't need to be here right now."

"But I don't want to leave my mom," Liberty said tearfully. However, one look from Emma and she obediently followed Katie out the door.

"Parker… take Sage back to the farm and wait for me there," she instructed him leaving no room for argument.

"What about mommy?" Sage asked looking up at Parker.

"Actually Emma, I told Carly I would look after Sage and Parker for a couple of days for her," Lily said as quietly as she could.

Jack's ears perked up as soon as he heard Carly's name.

"Where's Carly gone?" he asked walking over to Lily. "She was supposed to watch the kids."

"I know," Lily sighed. She'd hoped to avoid having this conversation at this particular moment.

"It's always about Carly!" shrieked Janet from the corner. Her mascara had left dark circles under her eyes and her hair that had at one time been neatly pinned up was now falling out haphazardly in spots.

"Janet," Jack sighed heavily, "This isn't about Carly, it's about the kids. She was supposed to watch them for the next couple of days while we…" he trailed off. He hadn't wanted to get started again with her in front of everyone.

"While we had our HONEYMOON!" Janet finished the sentence for him.

"Stop yelling at my daddy!" Sage cried running to her father and wrapping her arms around him.

"Parker, take Sage upstairs if you two are going to be staying here. She doesn't need to see all of this," Emma told him. She didn't want Sage around all this chaos.

"I'll be alright honey," Jack said softly to his daughter. He leaned down and gave her a hug and kiss and then patted Parker on the back as he led Sage from the room.

"Holden… you and Brad can come with me," Emma directed them as she headed off toward the kitchen.

Lily had hoped to leave with Emma but Jack had other ideas.

"If Carly wasn't going to be able to watch them, why didn't she tell me?" he asked turning back around to face Lily.

"It just sort of came up. She needed to get away," Lily said gently.

"Away?" Jack asked confused.

"Oh will you just forget about her for one minute!" Janet yelled at him.

"I think you two need to talk," Lily urged uncomfortably.

"Yeah… I think we do," Jack said calmly as he turned to face Janet. She stood there staring daggers at him with her arms folded across her chest while she waited for Lily to leave the room.

Jack took a moment to collect his thoughts. He didn't know where to begin, so he said the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm sorry Janet. I didn't want to hurt you." He winced at hearing how lame that sounded.

"You're sorry?" she asked incredulity.

"I know that doesn't even begin to make up for what I've done," he began.

"You're damn right it doesn't," she replied. She could feel herself getting angrier.

"As I stood here tonight, I realized that I wasn't ready for this kind of commitment right now and I didn't want to go through with the wedding only break your heart at some point down the road. I thought it would be best to take a step back and just wait."

"Wait? Wait for what? You think I'd just wait around hoping you'd change your mind?"

"No, that's not what I meant," Jack said frustrated.

"Then what did you mean? Did you think I was going to be happy about waiting? Did you think I was going to be happy about being embarrassed in front of your family and my daughter?" "I didn't mean to embarrass you and if you remember correctly, I tried to get you to leave and talk to me in private but you chose not to," he said defensively.

"You certainly didn't try very hard," she replied snidely.

"I'm not ready to get married," Jack said heavily. "It's as simple as that. I'm sorry but that's just the way it is."

"You're not ready to get married… or not ready to marry me?" she taunted.

"What are you talking about?"

"I think that if it had been Carly standing up with you tonight that this wedding would have taken place," she challenged him.

"Carly has nothing to do with this."

"Are you kidding me? She's got everything to do with this! She's been a factor ever since I met you."

"I am NOT discussing Carly with you," Jack said firmly. He and Carly's relationship had nothing to do with Janet and he'd be damned if he was going to talk about it with her. And it was at that moment that something really clicked for Jack. He knew deep down that Carly had played a very large role in his decision not to go through with the wedding. He'd seen her earlier when she and Sage had arrived. Their eyes had locked and in that moment he felt whole. He'd wanted to go and talk to her but Brad had come by needing his help with something. The eye contact had been broken and she'd disappeared. But that one tiny moment it was all it had taken for him to realize that he was making a mistake by marrying Janet. He knew she would be hurt but it was better to do it now and hopefully have her move on and find someone more deserving.

As for Carly, he needed to find her and talk to her. The last few months had felt like a rollercoaster. She'd saved him from James Stenbeck and he'd tried to get back together with her. She turned him down and then she changed her mind and wanted him back. Then it was his turn to back away. They'd nearly made love and he would have if Janet hadn't interrupted them. Then they went through the whole thing with Sage acting out against Janet (that should have been another clue he was making a mistake) and finally to last night when Carly had come to Yo's, where he was having his bachelor party. He'd driven her home and helped her into bed. Lying there with her had been excruciating. He still loved her, had told her so and seeing her hurting like she was… a part of him wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in his arms, kiss away the tears and make love to her like he'd done so many nights before. Another part of him hated himself for making her feel that way and he felt she deserved better than him. This was the emotion that had won last night and was why he'd walked away even though every inch of him wanted to stay there with her in their house… in their room… in their bed.

"Are you listening to me?" Janet's voice broke into his thoughts and disrupted them.

"Yes," Jack lied closing his eyes to try and clear the thoughts of Carly from his mind.

"So what do you want to do?"

"I… uhh…" Jack stammered not knowing the question but trying to come up with something.

"You and Liberty can stay at the farm until you can find a place of your own. I'm sure Emma won't have any problem with that," he answered.

Janet stared back at him. That wasn't what she had asked. She'd wanted to know if he wanted to postpone the wedding for a month or two and then reconsider it at that point. However, clearly Jack wasn't thinking that way at all. She shook her head.

"Go to hell Jack!" she spat at him and she spun on her heels and stormed off in search of Brad hoping he would give her a ride back to his place.

"I guess I deserved that," Jack said to himself. He took a deep breath and walked outside to get some fresh air. Even though it had been awful, he really did feel much better now than he had when he'd woke that morning. He reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone. He needed to talk to Carly before she left. He dialed her number but it went straight to voicemail.

"Carly it's me…we need to talk. Call me."

He hung up the phone and went in search of Lily. Unfortunately he ran into an exiting Brad and Janet. All three stopped short before bumping into each other. Jack stepped aside to let them by as quickly as possible hoping to avoid any further unpleasantness. Brad however, couldn't miss an opportunity to get another dig in.

"You're a real idiot," he said to him hoping Jack would take the bait and they could finish the altercation they'd started earlier but Jack wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. He just looked back at Brad and kept his mouth shut.

"Come on Brad, let's go," Janet urged him. "I don't want to see Jack's face ever again!"

"What are you thinking?" Brad asked him shaking his head and he allowed Janet to pull him out the door.

Jack, thankful for their departure, took off in search of Lily once more. He finally found her with Holden in the kitchen wrapping up all the food.

"Did Janet leave?" Lily asked him.

"Yes. She and Brad just left," Jack replied.

"Well that was fun," Holden said sarcastically as he picked up a platter of food and placed it in the refrigerator. "You might want to give us a heads up the next time you decide to call off your wedding."

Jack looked over at his cousin and guilt washed over him. Holden had the beginnings of a black eye forming.

"Sorry about that," Jack said indicating to Holden's left eye.

"It's my own fault. I shouldn't have stepped in the middle of you two. Besides you probably owe me anyway," Holden said sheepishly. The cousins exchanged a look. Holden was right Jack did have a right to feel justified about it. That was the end of it though. No more needed to be said. This however, brought Jack's thoughts back to Carly.

"Lily… did Carly say where she was going?" Jack said turning his attention to Lily and back to finding Carly.

"No. She said she needed to get away and asked to borrow the jet."

"Did she mention Montana?" Jack asked immediately thinking of place that meant so much to them and the place where Carly usually went to clear her mind.

"No, she didn't say anything about Montana. She said she'd call though when she landed."

"Since you already said you'd watch the kids… do you mind keeping an eye on them for a couple of days for me?"

"Of course Jack. It's not a problem."

"Are you going after Carly?" Holden asked him.

"I am. And I would appreciate it Lily, if you didn't tell her when she calls you," Jack pleaded.

"I don't know Jack," Lily said to him.

"Please Lily. I need to talk to her and I don't want her running off again."

"Alright. I promise I won't say a thing."

Carly sat out on the small patio outside her villa eating the delicious breakfast that had been delivered a short time ago. The sun was bright and it felt nice and warm against her skin as she sipped the fresh squeezed orange juice. There was a light breeze blowing in off the turquoise water of the ocean just a few feet from her. She had her own little private beach, completely secluded from all the other villas. Carly hadn't felt this relaxed since she didn't know when. _Why hadn't she thought to do this sooner_, she wondered to herself. She nibbled at the fruit. Everything was perfectly ripened and juicy. She decided she'd spend the day here and then perhaps that night she'd take a boat into town and enjoy some of the local attractions. She grabbed a piece of bacon as she headed back inside to change into her swimsuit.

A short while later, Carly had changed and was back outside. She laid her towel down on one of the lounge chairs and then headed down the few steps to the beach. The sand was very warm but it felt good as she made her way to the water. She stopped just inches from it and waited for the ocean to bring the water to her. It rolled in and she smiled. It was warm and it felt wonderful. She walked into the clear blue water until it was up to her waist and then she dove in submerging herself completely.

It was at this moment that Jack was being let into her villa by one of the hotel staff. Thankfully being a police officer had its privileges. It had allowed him to get the destination of the plane and gave the resort staff permission to give him access to her room.

"Carly?" he called out to the empty room. He waited but there was no answer.

He peeked into the bedroom and saw that it was empty. He checked the bathroom and still nothing. He turned toward the patio door and walked outside. Empty. He put his hands on his hips, frustrated. Perhaps she'd gone into town. He was about to turn around and head back inside when he heard some small splashing coming from the ocean. He looked out and what he saw took his breath away.

Carly popped up out of the water, her hair slicked back and the sun glistened off every drop of water on her body. She was breathtaking. He watched her as she grabbed her hair and rung the water out of it before gently shaking it out. She began to walk out of the water slowly towards him. She had on a white two piece that fit her in all the right places. She made his mouth water.

At first Carly didn't realize who was standing there on the patio. She had thought it was one of the hotel staff there to clear away the dishes from breakfast but as she got closer she realized that it was Jack. She stopped suddenly and just stared at him.

"Hi," he said giving her a tentative smile.

"Jack… what are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you. It couldn't wait," his voice was thick with emotion.

"Is everything alright? Are the kids ok?"

"The kids are fine," he reassured her.

"Good," she replied still confused as to why he was there. "But I still don't understand…"

"I didn't marry Janet."

Carly didn't know what to say or how to react. She felt numb and more confused than ever. Her heart, however, raced and pounded in her chest.

"I couldn't marry her," Jack said softly looking directly into her bright blue eyes.

"Why?" she asked hesitantly. A part of her hoped to hear the words she'd longed to hear him say… that he loved her and only her and could never marry Janet. But then another part of her dreaded those words and the false hope they brought with it.

"I never was in love with Janet," he said intently his eyes never leaving hers. His voice was low and deep and she could feel the vibrations from where she stood.

_Say it, say it, say it_," her mind pleaded silently inside her head. She stood there not saying a word her eyes never wavering from his.

"I still love you Carly."

Her heart nearly burst hearing him say those words. Carly's breathing had become erratic and she could feel the pull between them. She wanted nothing more than to run to his arms and kiss him and tell him that she loved him too and had never stopped. But what would that accomplish? Hadn't they already proven that by their history together? After all, Jack had told her last night that he still loved her and yet he'd still planned on going through with the wedding. Carly didn't know what to think.

"Did you hear me?" Jack asked softly.

"Yes, I did. I heard you Jack. I know that you do… you told me so last night."

"And…" he left the question open hoping to hear her say what he'd been wanting her to say. For her to say that she loved him still too and that they could work things out and…

"And nothings changed. You decided to marry Janet."

"But I didn't marry Janet," Jack corrected her. That's why I'm here.

"You came all this way to tell me that… you could have used a phone Jack," Carly replied walking past him and grabbing her towel off the lounger. She refused to let him near her heart. It was too soon and she was still too raw. She knew what he had hoped for, hoped her reaction would be but she couldn't do it. She would not allow him to hurt her again.

Jack was stunned by the turn of events. He just told her that he hadn't married Janet and that he still loved her. He'd flown all this way after her and she was just going to brush him off?

"That's it? That's all you have to say?" Jack asked turning around to face her again.

Carly wrapped the towel around her hair and squeezed the water out.

"What did you want me to say?" she challenged him.

"You know exactly what I wanted to hear," he leveled at her. His voice was low and sexy and indeed Carly knew.

"Sorry to disappoint you," she said and she quickly turned and headed inside.

Jack caught up to her just as she crossed the doorway. He grabbed her hand and spun her around and pressed her up against the wall. Her skin was warm against his and she smelled intoxicating. Their faces were inches apart and the tension between them was palpable.

He put one of his hands on her waist when she tried to pull away and the touch sent shockwaves of pleasure coursing through both of them.

"Why are you playing games, Carly?" he whispered huskily.

"I'm not the one playing games, Jack. You are," she leveled at him.

Jack was stunned. He stepped back and just looked at her. Did she really think this was a game to him?

Carly walked away from him and moved to the other side of the room trying to put as much distance as she could between them.

"Why do you think this is a game to me?" Jack asked. It was clear by the look in his eyes that her comment had hurt him.

"Isn't that what we've been doing these past few months? Playing games…"

"No. At least not intentionally," he said quietly.

"One minute you say you want me back and you want to work things out and then the next you're on your knees in Old Town asking Janet to marry you. What is that?"

"You pushed me away," Jack said defensively. "I wanted to get back together with you. I wanted what we had but you told me that you weren't what I needed anymore. You were the one who walked away…not me."

"I was scared. I told you that," Carly shot back. She could feel her emotions start to take over. "I didn't want to get back together with you only to have you leave me again. I won't do it. I can't go through the pain of loosing you over and over again." The last part came out barely above a whisper. She was shaking and she knew the slightest thing would get the tears falling and she'd be damned if that was going to happen.

"Go home Jack. I'm sorry things didn't work out for you and Janet but you need to go home," she told him as she headed into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. She hoped that would be the end of it. At least until she got back to Oakdale.

Carly emerged from the bedroom about a half hour later to find the living room of her villa empty. She closed her eyes. If she was honest with herself, she'd hoped that Jack would have stayed and proved to her that he was committed to her and to making things work. Obviously that hadn't been the case. She wandered out onto the patio and sat down on one of the loungers. She slipped off the towel she'd put on and decided to push the whole incident with Jack to the back of her mind for the time being. There would be plenty of time to deal with that later. For the next couple of days she was going to do what she'd planned… Rest and relax.

The constant lull of the water and the warm ocean breeze worked its magic and in no time Carly had dozed off. It wasn't until she felt warm, strong hands caressing her shoulders that she woke up, startled.

"What the hell?" she exclaimed sitting up and turning around.

Jack smiled down at her. Carly took a moment to look him over. His hair was damp and his shirt was off. He was wearing a pair of swim trunks and looked as if he'd just come from a swim.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm putting some sunscreen on you. You don't want to burn," he said softly. He attempted to go back to rubbing the lotion into her skin but Carly was too quick for him and jumped up out of the lounger.

"Why are you still here? I thought you left," she questioned him.

"I realized that my coming here was a bit of a surprise and you needed some time to adjust. But I'm not leaving Carly. Not until we've talked things through."

"I think we said everything that needed to be said already," she said stubbornly. "This was my vacation Jack. My alone time, if you will. You can't just invite yourself along."

"You want me here… I know you do. I can see it in you eyes," he said walking over to her.

Carly knew in her heart he was right but she refused to admit it out loud.

"I may not be able to stop you from staying here at the resort but you are NOT staying here with me Jack."

"Why not?" he smiled back at her. His eyes were dancing mischievously.

"Who's going to put lotion on you if I'm not here?" he teased as he reached out to try and apply the rest of the lotion still on his hands.

"Not you. I'm sure I could find someone willing to do it for me," she taunted.

The smile disappeared from Jack's face instantly. He closed the distance between them in a heartbeat.

"No one but me is going to put their hands on you," he told her. His voice was firm but there was that underlying sexual tension bubbling just underneath the surface. Every pore on Carly's body began to tingle at the insinuation his words held. She wanted nothing more than to let him do just that.

"You can't stay here," she said softly to him. It came out more of a plea than an actual statement of fact.

"There aren't any other villas available… I checked," he told her backing up a step but still close enough.

"Then you'll just have to go back to Oakdale and wait for me."

"I'm not going anywhere without you." He held her eyes as if trying to convince her of this promise without saying another word.

Carly could feel her resolve cracking and she struggled with it. The thought of the two of them here together… would be heavenly. No distractions, nothing but each other. It would be perfect. But this little villa and their private island hideaway wasn't their reality. They would have to eventually go back to the real world and that is when the problems would all come crashing down on them.

Jack could see the conflict behind her eyes and he knew he was really going to have to work on fixing things between them.

"Let me stay Carly… please."

Those warm brown eyes of his melted her resolve.

"Fine. But you can sleep out on the sofa… not in the bed with me."

"Deal," he said holding out his hand.

Carly looked down at it tentatively. She reached out and clasped it giving it a shake. She began to pull away but Jack pulled her to him instead.

"I'll let you decide when you want to share your bed with me," he whispered his voice low and sexy.

Carly stood there her lips parted and her breathing erratic. She licked her lips to moisten them and Jack focused on that mouth, those lips and the tip of her tongue. He could feel his own heartbeat increase as his desire for her mounted. He wanted to kiss her so desperately but he needed to be patient. Let it happen when Carly was ready. It may kill him but he was intent on letting things progress naturally. His eyes raked over her and he could feel his body responding to the close proximity of her. They found her face again and he smiled. He saw the pink blush of her cheeks as she responded to his gaze and he smiled.

"Come swimming with me," he suggested.

"I don't' know Jack," Carly said uneasily.

"It'll be fun," he promised. "I found some snorkeling equipment in the box out here," he said as he went over to the other side of the porch and opened the storage container. He pulled out a pair of fins for each of them along with masks and snorkels.

"Come on… you know you want to," he teased her, flashing his boyish grin.

She could never resist that smile.

"Alright," she smiled back. She took the equipment from him and headed down to the water.

"Baby steps," Jack said quietly to himself as he hurried to catch up to Carly.

Several hours later, after having spent the day snorkeling around the small cove outside their villa Jack and Carly were dressed as evening began to fall and were headed out on one of the boats to one of the neighboring islands. There were several restaurants, museums and other attractions to keep vacationing people entertained. When Carly first arrived she'd been told about a particular spot that sported live local music and she had mentioned that to Jack earlier that day.

As the boat sped across the water, Jack stole a glance at Carly. Her skin was browned from the sun with just a hint of pink to it. Her golden locks were piled up on her head in the way she knew he liked it. A few tendrils here and there dancing against the long, slender column of her neck, tempting him. She wore a dark red dress with spaghetti straps that fell to just above the knee. She had on a pair sling back high heeled sandals that accentuated her long, slender legs. She opted for not much makeup, just some color around the eyes and a lip gloss that kept drawing his attention to that mouth he loved so much. She looked breathtaking and Jack's entire body ached to touch her. However, he'd made sure to keep a safe distance. He didn't want to risk pushing her away again.

The boat slowed down and docked. Jack hoped out of the boat and held out a hand to help Carly up and out. They thanked the driver and he told them that the last shuttle back to the resort was at 3am. They walked off hand in hand toward town.

Carly could hear the music playing before they turned the corner and it made her smile. They decided on the restaurant and bar right on the beach and got a table for two fairly quickly given how packed the place was.

They ordered dinner and drinks, the drinks arriving first… Jack a beer and Carly a fruity concoction that was the signature drink. Jack held up his beer bottle and Carly clinked her glass against it gently.

"Thank you," he told her sincerely. "I know you didn't want me here and I know I don't deserve it but I really appreciate you giving us this time to try and work things out."

_You have no idea how much I want things to work out between us_, she thought to herself but settled instead for, "Your welcome."

"Dance with me?" Jack asked her holding out his hand.

Carly raised her eyebrow and gave him a look.

"Just a quick dance before our dinner arrives," he grinned.

Carly rolled her eyes and took his hand as he led her from the table. The walked out to the dance floor that was the beach and he pulled her softly into his arms. His hand caressed the small of her back. The music wasn't too fast or too slow and they fell into rhythm with the beat of the drum.

"You're too charming for your own good," she teased him.

"Lucky for me," he grinned back as he spun her around. Carly laughed and threw her head back and allowed herself to just enjoy the moment.

Several hours later Jack and Carly were on their way back to the resort. The sky was dark and full of a million stars as they glided across the calm water between the islands. The night had been perfect. Being on a secluded island had a way of blocking out the entire world. There had been no fighting, no cares, no worries, nothing but the two of them talking and laughing and dancing. Carly peeked over at Jack. He was staring at the night sky. He looked completely and utterly happy and at peace. She hadn't seen him like that in years. He wore khakis and a light colored dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His skin was bronzed by the sun and the light colored clothing he wore only emphasized it more. His strong jaw was tilted upward and Carly could see the corner of his mouth turn up slightly as he grinned. He could feel her gaze on him and he slowly turned and caught her looking at him. She averted her eyes and glanced down at her hands in her lap to try and distract herself and take her mind of the pounding of her heart.

The boat docked a few minutes later and Jack helped Carly out of the boat once more. The walked back to their villa in silence. Jack had wanted to grab her hand and hold it but once more, he was afraid of pushing her too far too fast. He needed to allow her to take control of this dance they were doing and let things happen on her time frame. He unlocked the door and held it open for her as she entered. She quietly slipped into the bedroom and closed the door without a word. Discouraged by the way the night ended, Jack gave a big sigh and headed for the patio. He considered getting ready for bed but was too wound up to sleep. Instead he kicked off his shoes and socks and he walked out to the beach and sat down on the dry sand. He looked up once again at the mass of stars in the sky. Perhaps hoping that if he stared long enough the answer to what Carly needed from him would magically appear.

Carly meanwhile got ready for bed in her room. The night had been wonderful. Everything had been perfect. _Perhaps too perfect_, Carly worried. She was afraid that this would happen. That being away from all their real life problems and the real world would cloud the real issues and make it harder for her to resist him and her own desire of wanting a life with him. But she didn't just want a life with him. She'd had that before. This time she wanted it to last forever. She slipped out of her dress and shoes and pulled on her nightie before heading in to brush her teeth. She went over to the window and was about to pull the curtains closed when she happened to see Jack sitting alone on the beach. The nearly full mood shone brightly in the sky and it lit up the secluded beach making it easy to see him. He was once again staring up at the sky almost like he was searching for something. Her heart tugged at her and urged her to go to him.

Jack picked up a small rock and threw it towards the water. He watched the ripples expand until they finally dissipated. He sat up a little taller when he felt her behind him. She hadn't said a word yet but he knew she was there. He felt the rhythm of her heart matching his own and he smiled.

"I thought you went to bed," he said to her without turning around.

Though she was slightly surprised that he knew she was there a part of her wasn't. She could feel his body responding to the close proximity of hers.

"I came to say goodnight," she answered softly. "What are you doing out here?"

"Thinking." He continued to stare out at the water. He was afraid of what might happen if he made eye contact with her.

"Oh," she whispered. "Jack… I wanted to thank you for tonight. I had a really great time."

"I did too," he smiled.

"Good," she smiled too. She took a deep breath not knowing what to say. Her heart and mind were waging war inside her and neither one had won yet.

"Carly… did you want to join me?" he asked tentatively still not making eye contact with her.

Her heart began beating wildly. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to try and calm it.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," she said breathlessly.

"You're probably right," he agreed.

"Oh yeah… and why is that?" she asked him. She knew she was traveling down a dangerous path.

"Because," he said slowly getting to his feet. He let his eyes roam from her perfectly painted toes, up her silky smooth legs to her firm breasts where they paused for a moment. Her nipples hardened instantly under his gaze and the cool ocean breeze helped cool her skin from the heat of his eyes. She was wearing a navy blue nightie that barely covered her firm derriere. The slight breeze teased his senses. He let his eyes continue their travels and he focused on her eyes.

"…because if you stayed out here with me I wouldn't be able to control myself. I would end up making love to you all night long," he said huskily. "Just like I know you want me to," he added staring intently down at her. He could feel himself harden just thinking about holding her… kissing her… tasting every inch of her.

Carly swallowed and tried to breath.

Jack couldn't fight it any longer, he had to touch her. He slowly raised a hand and gently caressed her arm. Her body nearly exploded at the touch. She felt like she was on fire.

"Jack…" she pleaded softly. She knew her resolve was fading fast and it was only a matter of moments before it broke completely.

"Carly… you should go," he said hoarsely. He closed his eyes and leaned down, their foreheads touching. She reached out and gently placed her hand on his chest, just above his heart. She could feel it pounding strong and steady.

"If you don't go now… you won't be able to stop me," he warned her giving her one last chance to walk away. She lifted her eyes and looked deeply into his eyes. They were dark with desire and the intensity behind them nearly drove her wild.

"I don't want you to stop," she whispered.

Jack nearly growled with desire as his mouth descended on hers. He grabbed hold of her arms and pulled her tightly against him feeling the firmness of her breasts against his chest. Carly opened her mouth and allowed his tongue full access. She wrapped her arms around his and dove under the hem of his shirt. His smooth muscular back felt heavenly to her touch. She decided that that was not quiet enough, however, and her fingers quickly found the buttons of his shirt and began to undo them. Jack helped with the last two and quickly shed the shirt. He pulled her into his arms again and they dropped to the ground. He went to kiss her neck but Carly was quicker and she pushed him onto his back and lay on top of him. There was a momentary look of surprise on Jack's face but it quickly changed to a sexy grin and he cupped the back of her head and brought her mouth to his for a kiss. Carly leaned up a bit and trailed her kisses down his neck to his chest while her hands slowly slid their way down to the waistband of his pants. She deftly unbuckled his belt and undid his pants helping him to remove them completely. Carly slowly let one of her hands slide up Jack's leg until she reached his hot throbbing erection. She closed her hand around him and Jack moaned with pleasure. Her mouth moved lower and lower until it closed over him. Jack closed his eyes in ecstasy and threaded his fingers through Carly's hair causing it to tumble down around her shoulders and across his chest. He tongue teased and tormented him until he could no longer take it. He pulled her face back to his and kissed her mouth while his hands pulled at her hips. Carly quickly shed her panties and straddled Jack. She could feel his rock hard length against her hot, wet opening. Jack gripped her thighs and slid his hands up under nightie lifting it up and over her head. Carly placed her hands against his chest and slowly lowered herself letting him fill her completely. The moonlight danced on their skin as Carly began to rock slowly back and forth taking him deeper and deeper each time. Jack cupped her breasts with each hand teasing her nipples til they hardened. Carly threw her head back feeling Jack hands and the ocean breeze stroke her skin setting off goose bumps all over her body. Jack eased up and wrapped an arm around the small of her back holding her firmly in place while he continued to thrust deep inside. He kissed and licked and nipped at the base of her neck until Carly cried out his name. In one swift motion he quickly flipped her over and onto her back so that he was now on top and in control. Carly raked her fingers over his chest as she wrapped her legs around his waist, matching him thrust for thrust and urging him deeper. Jack continued to make love to her slowly, building the friction between them.

"You were made for me Carly," Jack breathed heavily against her neck.

"And I was made…" he paused moving his head lower to where it was just inches above her breast. He flicked the hardened nub with his tongue. "…for you," he finished, just before sucking the nipple into his mouth. Carly moaned in response and arched her body against his. She lifted his face and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Her tongue gently bit his lower lip and that nearly undid Jack. He kissed her back hungrily has he pumped harder and faster. He felt Carly's body shuddered and give its release. Jack thrust a few more times and collapsed on top of her breathing heavy. He kissed and nuzzled her neck as they lay there on the beach, their bodies still intertwined.

After a few minutes of just listening to their breathing and the sound of the waves rocking against the shore, Jack propped himself up on an elbow and looked down into the face of the woman who'd captured his heart from the first moment he'd met her.

"Are you ok?" he asked as he brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"At this moment… right now… everything is perfect. It's what happens in the next moment that scares the hell out of me," Carly said, her voice quiet.

"I know. We've never had a problem living in the moments," Jack agreed with her. "I'm scared too. But Carly, I swear to you that it's going to be different this time. I won't walk away from you, from us, from this."

"You've said that before," she sighed, closing her eyes.

"I know that I have. I've learned my lesson though. I realized that I can't live my life without you. Not just in my life but a part of it."

"How can I be sure? How can I know that you won't leave me when I screw up? 'Cause you know it'll happen Jack. I'll do something that you won't approve of and you'll leave me," she said in a rush.

"Shhhh, Carly listen to me. We've both made stupid mistakes in the past. But I've made the worst by walking away from you and not trusting in our love for each other. If you can forgive me for breaking your heart over and over then I promise I will spend the rest of our lives together making it up to you."

"Jack… I want to. I want us. I've never wanted anything else."

"Then say you'll forgive me. Say that you're willing to take a chance on us… just one more time."

"Will you promise me something?"

"Anything," he said fiercely.

"Without even hearing what it is first?" she asked uncertainly.

"Absolutely. I will never, ever go back on my word. I promise," he told her solemnly.

"Will you promise that if we ever start to have problems and you're thinking about leaving me…"

"It won't happen," he interrupted.

Carly shot him a look.

"Sorry. Continue," he apologized.

"If you ever think about leaving me… will you promise that we can come back here and reconnect? No matter how angry you are no matter what I've done?"

Carly gazed at him waiting to hear what his answer would be. Jack smiled at her. Was this all she needed from him? A promise to come back to the place where they'd found their way back to one another. Could it be as simple as that?

"You have my word," he said sincerely. "Should we shake on it?" he smiled before flashing a grin at her.

"I was thinking perhaps we could seal it with a kiss," she teased back.

"Mmmmm, that's a much better idea," he laughed huskily as he lowered his head so that his lips hovered just above hers.

"I love you Carly."

"I love you too Jack," she whispered as she slid her fingers through his hair at the back of his neck and pulled his lips to hers…


End file.
